The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal has entered a crucial phase, but for many voters whose names have been marked “excluded”, the process has brought more questions than answers.
According to figures available till June, around 36.6 lakh cases were still pending before 19 tribunals examining applications involving “logical discrepancies”. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has not made public a detailed breakup of the cases disposed of so far, including how many involved voters whose names were ultimately removed from the electoral rolls.
The Indian Express spoke to several people whose names have either been marked “excluded” after tribunal proceedings or who are still waiting for an acknowledgment of their appeals. For them, the uncertainty goes beyond their voting rights, raising concerns over welfare benefits, official documentation and the legal options available to them.
Families divided over voter status
In Bolpur, Sabia Khatun, 42, and her father Samsul Alam, 72, were removed from the voter list by a tribunal, while Samsul’s son Intekhab Alam remained on the rolls.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Intekhab said the family had submitted educational certificates and other documents during the hearing. “There is panic and fear in the family. My name, my uncles’ names are in the voters’ list, but that of my father and sister are deleted," Intekhab said.
The family subsequently approached the Calcutta High Court. On August 4, the court directed the tribunal to reconsider Samsul’s case, while Sabia’s petition was still awaiting a hearing.
“What can I say? Every day I see ministers saying that those struck off the voter list will not be a part of government schemes like ration. I am still getting my rations. But we live in fear," Sabia told The Indian Express.
'Deleted' status brings new fears
For Manjura Begum, 31, from Hooghly’s Arambagh, the problem came despite her family submitting documents during different stages of the SIR process.
Her husband, Sheikh Jiadul Hussain, told The Indian Express that Manjura’s siblings had cleared the process but her name was eventually excluded. He also alleged errors in the notice issued to her.
Manjura later approached the Calcutta High Court. Her lawyer Saloni Bhattacharya questioned the process, saying, “This is purely harassment of people.”
Bhattacharya also said some applicants were not being given reasons for their deletion, making it difficult for them to challenge the decisions.
Manjura remains worried about the consequences. “We are deleted, not departed. We and our families have to live here,” she told The Indian Express. She then added, “We are so tense. I have three children… what will happen to me? Will they throw me out of the country? Will our rations be stopped?”
Appeals filed, but no acknowledgment
For some voters, the problem is not a tribunal rejection but the absence of any clear update.
Amina Paswan, 50, who lives near Nimtolla in Kolkata and earns a living making flower garlands, said her son was included in the final voter list while her own name was marked “excluded”. With help from an NGO, she submitted an appeal to the tribunal but said she never received an acknowledgment.
“I get a widow pension from the government along with rations. This has not stopped, but I fear it will soon. I do not have money to go to court. I just earn Rs 200 daily selling flower garlands,” Amina told The Indian Express.
Her neighbour Pinki Das, 31, is in a similar position. She said she attended a hearing but later applied to the tribunal after her name did not appear in the final list. She too said she received no receipt for her application.
“What will their future be?” Pinki said, referring to her four children.
Poor voters face hurdles in court
The uncertainty has also affected families in Kolkata’s Rajabazar area. Sheikh Chotu, 35, and his wife Guria Bibi, 31, were both marked “excluded” after tribunal proceedings. Chotu said he had submitted documents linking him to his father, whose name appeared in the 2002 electoral roll.
“We both voted (in the Beleghata Assembly seat). We filled our SIR forms and submitted the papers,” he told The Indian Express.
Asma Khatun, 30, said her tribunal appeal was rejected despite submitting several documents and having voted in four previous elections in Bengal. “Now I don’t know what will happen. I gave my ration card, voter card, birth certificate and other papers to the BLO.”
The concerns are not limited to individual families. Kahakasa Shakil of NGO Mukta Kantha Mahilla Samity told The Indian Express that her organisation helped 54 people file appeals offline, but 17 had not received acknowledgment receipts.
“There are a number of such people. We helped them submit appeals to tribunals on April 10. Out of the 54 people for whom we helped file appeals offline, no (acknowledgment) receipt has been received for 17. We don’t know why,” Shakil said.
She also pointed to the cost of approaching the High Court, saying many affected people cannot afford the legal expense.
With the ECI facing continued questions over the SIR figures and the Supreme Court scheduled to hear the matter next on August 25, those marked “excluded” are left waiting for clarity on what happens after the electoral roll exercise and whether their next step lies with tribunals, courts or a fresh application as voters.